China opposes and condemns the assassination of the Palestinian
Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin by Israel, Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in Beijing
Tuesday.
Kong told a regular news briefing that China advocates resolving
the dispute through dialogue and negotiation, stressing such stance
on the Mideast issue is "consistent."
The international community made a strong response after
Yassin's assassination. It was the second time that Kong commented
on the incident.
"We think that the 'target assassination' adopted by Israel is
unhelpful to resolving the problem," Kong said.
He urged all sides to keep restraint and avoid acts that may
lead to further escalation of the already tense situation.
It was reported that Israeli Apache helicopters fired three
missiles at Yassin and his two bodyguards at daybreak Monday as
they left a mosque near his house, killing them instantly.
Yassin, who founded Hamas in 1987, was held in Israeli prisons
for several years before being released in 1994.
In another development, the spokesman said the US decision to
introduce an anti-China human rights motion at a UN human rights
conference is a "severe interference in China's internal
affairs."
The Chinese government and people express strong indignation at
and are firmly opposed to the US move, Kong said in a
statement.
Kong said that the US decision was made with a motive on its
domestic politics rather than care for human rights, which marked
an attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs under the
disguise of human rights.
Kong stressed that the US decision has politicized the human
rights issue, and therefore tarnished the sacred cause of human
rights. Such an unpopular attempt will be futile, he said.
"The Chinese government has paid great attention to the
promotion of human rights and earnestly implemented relevant human
rights convention it has joined," Kong said.
China has been strengthening its construction on democracy and
rule of law and its reform of the judicial system in order to
improve the protection of human rights, Kong said, noting the fact
that China wrote the respect and protection of human rights into
its Constitution earlier this month.
Kong said China has made remarkable progress in the protection
of human rights, which has won praises from the international
community widely.
Recognizing that differences exist between China and the United
States on the issue of human rights, Kong said such differences
should be properly addressed through dialogue and exchange "on the
basis of equality and mutual respect."
"China has made unremitting efforts and showed utmost sincerity
and flexibility in this regard," he said.
The spokesman also confirmed that Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing
called US Secretary of State Colin Powell on the evening of March
21 and they talked about Saturday's election in the Taiwan region
during their phone conversation.
During the conversation, the spokesman said, Foreign Minister Li
asked the US side to abide by the one-China policy and do more to
benefit the peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits as well
as the development of relations between the Chinese mainland and
Taiwan.
Secretary of State Powell reiterated that the United States will
abide by the one-China policy, Kong said.
Kong said China has noticed the US attitudes on the current
events in Taiwan. "We must point out that the election in the
Taiwan region is only a local election of China and no matter what
outcome it produced, it cannot alter the fact that Taiwan is a part
of China."
"China has made no special requests to the United States," Kong
said, adding that China's only request is that the United States
abide by the policies made and reiterated time and again by itself,
including the one-China policy, the three Sino-US joint
communiqués, opposition to the "Taiwan independence" and to any
attempt in words and deeds by leaders of Taiwan authority to
unilaterally change the status quo of Taiwan and seek
independence.
Taiwan authority said they have received congratulations on the
election from certain countries, but that was denied by the
countries, noted Kong.
The spokesman went on to say that the international community
has expressed clear opposition to the current situation in Taiwan
and China hopes the international community could join hands to
maintain peace and stability in the region.
"Of course, the crux of matter is to abide by the one-China
principle," he added.
Turning to Li Zhaoxing's visit to the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK), the spokesman said both China and the
DPRK attach importance to this event.
Li left Beijing for the DPRK on Tuesday noon for a three-day
official visit at the invitation of his DPRK counterpart Paek
Nam-sun.
It is Chinese FM's first DPRK visit in the past five years, Kong
said. During his stay, Li will exchange views with the DPRK leaders
on bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest, he added.
According to Kong, all sides of the six-party talks on the
nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula have kept close contact for
the setting-up of working groups after the second rounds of talks
held in Beijing last February.
China and the DPRK will also have in-depth exchanges of views on
the issue, Kong said.
The six-party talks grouped China, the DPRK, the United States,
the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan.
Also at yesterday's briefing, Kong told reporters that the
Chinese government will try its utmost and every possible means
through various channels to ensure the safety of the Chinese worker
who remains kidnapped in Sudan.
Two Chinese workers were abducted on March 13 while working on a
well-digging project by anti-government militants at Darfurat
Darfur, 80 kilometers from Buram in the west.
Kong said that one of the workers has escaped to a safe place
and he is now in good shape.
The Chinese Embassy in Sudan proved the worker managed to escape
to a safe place dominated by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on
March 20, while the second Chinese worker was still in the hands of
anti-government rebels.
The Chinese government urged the anti-government militants in
Sudan to release the other hostage as soon as possible, Kong
said.
"Latest close contacts have indicated that the health situation
of the other Chinese worker is good,'' said Kong, without
disclosing any detailed information.
Kong appreciated efforts by some countries and international
organizations to rescue the abducted Chinese workers.
In news about Iraq, the spokesman said Bahr Ul-Uloum, president
of the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC), will pay a visit to China
from March 25 to 27.
It is the first tour paid by the IGC president to China. Chinese
leaders will exchange views with Bahr Ul-Uloum on Sino-Iraqi
relations and issues of common concern, Kong said.
Through fully discussing topics of mutual interest and gaining a
better understanding of the internal situation in Iraq, China hopes
to play a positive role in the reconstruction of Iraq, the
spokesman said.
Kong also announced that Yemeni Prime Minister Abdul Qader
Bajammal will pay an official visit to China from March 28 to March
31 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
(Sources including Xinhua News Agency and China Daily, March 24,
2004)